New Beginings
by kmw4121
Summary: chapter 6 is up and i am slaving away at the next : summary harry and Hermione spend the summer together at the graingers and the development between harry and Hermione and her parents then hopefully into the 7th year
1. Chapter 1

**New beginnings**

**Disclaimer Harry Potter and all characters are the property's of Jk rowling and warner bros no infringement of copyright is intended and no money is being made, this is purely for entertainment purposes.**

**All characters situations and places are the copyrights of the above mentioned any other characters places or situations are my own if you wish to use anything in this story please contact me beforehand.**

**Chapter 1 Dreams Letter's & A Hard Nights Sleep...**

Harry Potter was alone and depressed lying there in his bed in the middle of the night, he was of course at privet drive and the muggle relatives that he stayed with each summer holiday were as horrible as usual, But as harry lay there he thought it could have been worse.

The muggle had been treating him well considering the way they had the past 16 years,

Harry mused that the reason was because the dursleys (who were his relatives) were being nice was because harry was also about to become a legal adult in the wizarding world.

Harry considered this for a moment! Would he really do something to the dursleys when it came time for him to become a man in wizarding law, while he thought on this problem he looked away from the clock and towards the window and saw his owl Hedwig the beautiful snowy owl flying towards the window with a couple of letters in her talons.

He got out of bed and slowly trudged towards the window, opened it up and his owl flew gracefully into the room dropping the envelopes on the bed and swinging over to her perch, She landed and drank deeply from her water dish and ate a few owl treats harry had left for her return.

Harry moved back to his bed and picked up the letters and examined them closely, The first letter he picked up had rushed loopy handwriting.

Harry opened it up and read the parchment,

**_harry_**

**_I hope the muggles are treating you ok? I also hope that you are ok and that you are not moping around the house._**

**_I had a strange week! It started last Monday i was on the way to the quidditch field behind the burrow and guess who I bumped into ? ... luna lovegood!_**

**_I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her she was beautiful, And before you snigger remember potter I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT HERMIONE._**

**_Even though Ginny still loves you I understand if its not meant to be then its not meant to be, Anyway back to luna she is SO FIT my eyes nearly distended from there sockets when i saw her._**

**_Why I never saw her this way before I will never know, well during the battle at hogwarts while you were ...AWAY luna and I made a good team and she saved my life a couple of times as well as the whole department of mystery's thing last year as well so I think its safe to say I was blinded by other peoples ideas about who she is without actually getting to know her !_**

**_Anyway just wanted to say long story short men and luna are going out and its way better than I could have imagined, Its nothing like when me and lav were going out last this past school year._**

**_Wanted to say I am going to accompany luna and her old man to Sweden to look for some mythical creature or what not._**

**_Hope that you have a good summer will try and write you but if not see you 1st September on the hogwarts express_**

**_ron_**

**_p's._**

**_Hope I make quidditch captain_**

Harry potter let out a smile as he thought about ron and luna lovegood and thought it wasn't that strange after all as they were suited in personality and of course they both obsess about quidditch.

As harry thought about the letter he realized that this was the first letter he had ever received that didn't mention quidditch as a constant theme throughout the letter, ron had had to include it as a post script .

Harry smiled again and stood and walked to his desk picked up a quill and some parchment and wrote a quick reply.

_**Ron**_

_**Glad you and Luna are together Albus told me before the end that love is the greatest power that I have and if its powerful to help defeat the dark forces then I think you should give and receive all the love that you can good on you mate!**_

_**reference you knowing how I feel about Hermione I do love her she is very special to me and to you and I would never do anything to change that so if thats the way it goes then so be it but all I know is I could never survive not knowing Hermione or ...you**_

_**you friend forever**_

_**Harry**_

Harry stood and went back to his bed, He glanced up at the clock on the bedside table and noticed the time was 3am, harry rubbed his eyes and as he replaced his glasses he looked at the letter that was left on the bed.

He turned the envelope over in his fingers, He noticed that the parchment was of a fine linen weave and expensive, He also noticed a faint scent to the paper and it reminded him of happy times at hogwarts.

Harry's heart sped up as the smell evoked the memory of Hermione granger his best friend and the girl no women that he loved from afar, harry turned it over in his hands and his fingers arrived at the ruby wax seal on the back of the envelope.

Every single thing about this letter had had a great deal of thought put into it, Hermione, harry thought did not do things by half's she did things the way that books told her to so she had probably researched the proper paper and the appropriate color and texture of the wax, Harry marveled at this as he always took care when writing to her to make it neat and concise but she always seemed to amaze harry with the small things.

Harry opened the seal and removed the velvet feel parchment and unfurled the letter and read as follows :

**_Dear Harry,_**

**_I am worried about you as always, neither I nor The Order have had any correspondence from you, I know you are alive as alistor moody was here yesterday to let me know that you were ok._**

**_I do hope that you don't mind that I asked him to keep me aware of the situation, as I worry about you ..._**

**_anyway harry I have spoken to McGonnagal and she has allowed me to give you a surprise and I am sure that you will like this one as you have never done this before._**

**_She has if you agree to it allowed you to come and stay at my house until we go back to hogwarts in month from now, Anyway I was sure you would say yes so I told her I had already spoken to you and, Now Harry I know it will be late and you may not get this till 7am in the morning when you normally get up but we are going to get you tomorrow which is august the 1st at 9 am, Mum and Dad have both agreed that I am Responsible enough to have a 17 year old boy stay at my home for 4 weeks mostly unsupervised see you in the morning_**

**_Lots of love_**

**_Hermione_**

**_xxx_**

Harry was stunned into silence. I think if he had tried to say anything that very moment it would have been random vowels and noises, harry stood there stunned and it slowly dawned on him that he was going to spend a whole MONTH at the same house as Hermione in a room probably next to hers and harry got really nervous as he didn't think he could go that long without showing his true feelings for her he knew he was screwed.

He thought through his options and this is what he came up with!

He refused to go and Hermione and the grangers beat him up and Hermione never spoke to him again

or

He told Hermione how he felt & she never spoke to him again and Mr Granger killed him and buried him in the back garden and planted some nice roses on top of him.

Harry thought again to himself he was screwed big style, He finally resigned himself to the fact that he would go to the Granger's and he would try and not reveal his deepest secret, but harry mused it would be a very difficult prospect indeed.

Harry looked at the clock it now said 3:38am harry put Hermione's letter in its envelope and placed it on the side table and took off his glasses and climbed into bed and yanked the covers over his body and tried to find solace in his dreams.

**Please Leave a Review as I got inspired by reading the books again recently and for all you who have Read "The Future Is Not Yet Set".**

**I Do Intend To Continue This Story And I Am Just Trying To Work Out what To do Next!**

**Thanks a lot and please R&R**

**Kenneth**


	2. Chapter 2

sorry about the delay in the updateing enjoy chapter two

oh and by the way i dont own anything apart from my charicters no infringement of the copywright of jkrowling or the wb studios is not intended ;-)

New beginnings Chapter 2:- the floo incident!!!

Harry potter was in his bed and he still wasn't able to sleep after the events of the previous night!  
He groaned and threw of his covers and stomped over to the desk and looked at the digital clock on the table, it was one of Dudley's old Christmas presents and he had never used it! Harry mused that it was because the fat loaf never wanted to get out of bed unless it was to eat or beat up harry or a combination of the two.  
The clock's readout said 5:55am and harry sighed with frustration as he only had 3 hours and 5 minutes until Hermione and her family arrived.  
At this though harry's insides twisted into new works of sculpture that if it had been possible to remove them and put them on display harry reckoned that they could win the turner prize for art!! Anyway harry sighed and got dressed and moved the things from the loose floorboard under the bed and put it all in his trunk apart from his wand and made ready for leaving in two hours from now.

Two hours later harry was waiting in the hallway with the front door open looking out to see if he could spot any car with Hermione in passing or pulling up, this ordinarily wound have caused harry significant pain with his aunt and uncle especially but as luck would have it harry found out this morning while he was making breakfast for the dursleys that they were going out all day and he wasn't to touch anything.  
So harry had bowed his head and nodded when required and said nothing about leaveing as he realised that they wouldn't care if he was gone anyway! In fact they will probably throw him a party though harry morosely, at that moment shortly before nine am there was a noise from the living room!  
Harry instantly whipped his wand out of his wand holder on his sleeve and pointed it towards the living room as he slowly and quietly crept towards it, Harry moved like a cat on the prowl he was so quiet that had you been in the room you wouldn't have known he was there and if there had at this time been anyone looking in they would have noticed that harry was slightly glowing green!  
Harry heard an arrrrhhh noise and pointed his wand at the fireplace and shouted "difindo" a streak of red light hit the breast of the chimney and it exploded in a great ball of grey dust leaving a hole in the wall and a very peeved looking Hermione all plastered in gray chimney dust!!

Harry gasped and rushed towards his friend/love and said "Hermione oh I am so sorry I thought you were the death eaters come to get me now that my birthday is only a few days away I thought the protection was down"  
Hermione looked up at him and into his deep green eyes and no matter how angry she had been as soon as she looked into his eyes she was lost and knew she could never be angry for long with harry, she ran over to him and grasped him in a bone crunching hug and to her and his great surprise kissed harry full on the lips and melted into him.  
At the same time harry's mind was just about fighting to stay in control of his body as Hermione was full on kissing him and not in a friends way either thought harry as he repeated a mantra in his head "umbridge, Mrs. figg, Dudley in the nude, aunt petunia and uncle Vernon kissing.  
At this point harry managed to so revolted by the thought he was able to break the connection to Hermione's mouth even though he wanted to instantly to reconnect and stay that way permantly.

Harry did what every 16yr old would do after having been kissed by a beautiful witch he turned away and blushed scarlet and looked at Hermione out the corner of his eye and saw she too was blushing and acting all very shy, and considering the situation she had just instigated was acting very girly in his opinion.  
All of a sudden there was a hughhummm and harry's head whipped around towards the fireplace to see Mr. granger standing there with an amused expression on his face harry had the grace to look down and at Hermione who was now even redder than after she had kissed harry.  
Harry stepped towards Mr Granger and put out his hand; welcome to privet drive Mr. Granger I wasn't aware you were going to travel here by floo?  
Yes my dear boy exclaimed Mr Granger! Security procedure from the headmistress McGonagal I am afraid and please call me Dan Mr Granger makes me feel like my dad! Dan granger smiled at this.  
Err ok then said harry, Dan it is! Harry gave a huge grin to Dan Granger and apologised for the mishap, no problem my dear boy understandable in fact I suspected something along the lines of what happened just now would happen he said with a grin.  
Harry was unsure at that moment if he was referencing the kiss between he and Hermione or the fact that harry would attack them if they flooed in?  
Err yeah ok said harry sorry about the whole wand and destruction thing it wouldn't surprise me to see an owl arrive any second from the ministry of magic telling me that I am expelled and that they are gonna break my wand?  
At this point Hermione actually seemed to have recovered enough to speak and said, harry the ministry know we are coming to see you and we told them that you might respond with an extreme responses to out arrival so they have allowed magic to be performed within this house for 30 minuets as you are still under age, well for the next few days anyway.  
Harry just stood there with his mouth open and opening and closing that very closely imitated a goldfish, he turned to Dan granger and said well ok if that the case then lets get this mess cleaned up shall we harry stepped into the lounge and said repairo without thinking about using his wand although harry didn't realise this Hermione did and for the moment kept it to herself but she vowed internally to quiz harry about it the moment she had the chance.

Hermione got her wand out and helped harry repair all the things broken but the explosion harry had caused and when all that was left she turned to harry and said ok only the thing left is the wall of the chimney breast better let me do it harry as we are really near the half an hour mark so best let me do it ok.  
Sure said harry but we all have to go where ever we are going apart from you so where are we going?  
Oh! Sorry said Hermione slapping her hand to her head I totally forgot to mention where I am taking you do dint I, well yeah kind of said harry a bit sheepishly.  
Well throw some of this floo powder into the hole that's currently your fireplace and say granger manor ok. Granger Manor? Stated harry didn't know you lived in a manor does that mean you have butlers' and gardener's and stuff?  
Mr Granger at this point chimed in and said all that will be explained when we get there harry ok but we must go now! As we only temporally connected the floo to this house and ours through!  
Dan went first and harry was about to follow him but paused and turned and said to Hermione , I enjoyed that kiss and before she could respond he threw the floo powder into the fireplace and said granger manor and with a flash he was gone.

Ok end of chapter hope you like it was inspired last night to write another chapter hope you like it please read and review thanks

Kenneth


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer : this is for fun no money being made the rights are owned by JK Rowling and Warner bros , all things that are jkr's are hers and all that are min are mine .

Authors notice: any mistakes are mine as I don't have a beta be they grammatical or structural deal with it unless someone wants to beta me then shut up 

For those of you who have been following this story sorry about the infrequent updating of this story I am still working on it as you can see from the following chapter I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Please read and review!!!!!

New beginnings

Chapter 3: Grainger manor

Harry for the first time stepped out of a floo connection and didn't wobble, stumble or fall to the ground on his arse which quite surprised harry potter! Harry walked forwards with the biggest grin on his face as he had just told his best female friend, one Hermione granger that he had indeed enjoyed the kiss that she had just shared with him.

Before he could think this over anymore there was a green flash behind harry and he turned to see Hermione about to fall on the floor as she exited the fireplace! Without thinking harry dashed forwards & with his seeker reflexes caught Hermione in his arms and smiled down to her as she looked into his face & as she looked him in the eyes there was, an almost electrical charge that ran first through harry and then Hermione! it was like they were the only 2 people on the planet magical or muggle.

They just stayed there like that for what felt like an eternity until there was for the second time in 10 minutes an ahem.

This was enough to snap them both out of the moment they had shared, harry pulled Hermione to her feet and let her hands go and turned to the direction of the "ahem" to see it was Mr. and Mrs. granger.

Harry had the decency to look embarrassed and looked towards the floor shyly; Hermione meanwhile was having a silent conversation with her mum.

It was all done with look that only family could decipher and even then only the female variety, it went down like this.

Hermione looked to her mum and her mum squeezed her eyes half shut in an enquiring way as if to say "spill it now young lady"

Hermione replied with a small smile and a nod which meant the following "he kissed me back as I knew he would speak to you later" look

Of course all this happened in a fraction of a second and as this short exchange ended Hermione's dad extended his hand to harry and said in a formal enquiring tone Dan granger Hermione's farther and this is my lovely wife Emma we are glad that you are able to come and stay with us harry.

We have of course heard allot about you from my little "wormy", DAD shouted Hermione embarrassed by her fathers words. What? Said Dan granger with a lop sided smile that harry couldn't help grinning at, unfortunately Hermione noticed this and punched harry on the arm with a fairly loud PRATT being said at the same time.

Hermione Jane granger watch your language young lady, exclaimed Emma granger with an almost Dumbledore worthy twinkle in her eyes at the two young children in front of her, Hermione looked ashamed and she put her head down slightly and left an uncomfortable air about the room they were in.

Dan granger cleared his throat and said well now we are all here why don't you show harry to his room and then the mansion Hermione as I am sure he will enjoy that and your company after not seeing you for so many weeks added Dan with a small smirk. Hermione immediately grabbed onto this idea pulled harry off towards a huge staircase.

For harry this was what made him actually see the surroundings he was currently in, when Hermione and Dan had said Grainger manor they were not kidding, as harry took in the staircase that Hermione was dragging him up he looked and saw huge chandeliers and paintings on the wall that wouldn't be out of place in Hogwarts.

Wow stated harry you live in a palace Hermione? No I don't harry we just in a rather big house in the country she said waspishly, wow sorry to say a word mione, if I had had known this is the way you would snap off my head I would have kept my trap shut! Harry stated coarsely.

Sorry harry I didn't mean to snap at you it's just a bit of a sore point with me that's all I will explain later all right? sure said harry seeing that she would indeed do this, as he was looking around his gaze fell upon Hermione and then he fell upon Hermione as she had stopped abruptly.

As they fell to the floor a couple of thing happened in quick succession the first was harry's hands fell upon Hermione's chest so that harry was grabbing on to her in a boyfriend/husband kind of way.

The second was that as harry grabbed Hermione so Hermione did grab harry around what she thought was the waist but she was in fact a half foot lower and she grabbed his arse with one hand and as she tried to let her had of his arse the other hand grabbed his trousers at the front and squeezed quite hard.

The third thing that happened was that they both kind of liked this and moaned a moan of please as each respective teenager responded on a primal level to the stimuli that was being administered by the other and were quite content with the 10- 15 seconds that passed until it was passing the point of delayed reaction to the situation.

As if they were counting down to 0 they both released said body parts and scrambled to stand looking everywhere but at each other, it was harry who had the ability to speak first and his voice croaked with a mix of passion and fear and it kind of made him squeak like a house elf and as he said sorry he turned bright red, redder than Ginny weasleys hair though harry, this thought Seemed to kill the thoughts of passion that had been flowing though his mind.

Hermione for her part was a quite as a mouse and harry knew this was either a very bad thing or a good thing, because when ever Hermione went into this analytical mode in the past a huge event had happened in the trios lives weather it be the devils snare in year one or the look on Hermione's face as she lay in the hospital wing, in there second year after deciphering that there was a basilisk in the school.

Harry even remembered the look when Hermione was in the tent with him just before the first tri wizard tournament as she had grabbed his hand, he saw determination and also the face she had on now and it sometimes went the other way as well.

Like the time when he had gotten the firebolt from Sirius black during the third year and she had had the same look then and harry had lost the use of his beloved broom for almost the whole school year as a result.

Harry sincerely hoped that this is the tri wizard tent version and not the firebolt version of her face, with these thoughts on his mind he looked at Hermione again and waited for the inevitable.

Hermione on the other hand was having very different but also similar thoughts, she was strangely happy at the moment and she knew it was harry prior actions, however accidental they had been this was just another confirmation in her mind of what she knew she felt.

The question on her mind was did harry realise he felt the same, ok subconsciously he must feel the same as there had been too many things happen for it to be a silly girls delusional thoughts, she thought back to the past and realised that at every point that she had been in danger harry had been her hero!

Harry was her hero and he had been since the night of the troll incident as he had been the one to realise that she was in danger and he had dragged Ron weasley to help him it was only luck that Ron had been able to cast the wingardium leviosa spell in time to use the trolls club as a weapon and knock it out.

Harry had jumped on its back to fight it was the bravest thing anyone had ever done and it had sealed Hermione's heart even in the first year, she had no doubt that she would love no other but she gave her self a few more years to be sure and as the years went on she was given confirmation time and again of her love to harry.

And in recent years she had noticed him subtly giving her signals back as well, now Hermione knew she was the smartest witch in her generation and she analysed all things harry did for she had noticed in the third year as she walked down the stairs that harry had been driven to the mental level of a 3 yr old, when she had walked down the stairs, he had watched her all night out the side of his eyes while ignoring his partner parvati patil and as she had sat with him; she had noticed that he was acting differently around her and she found this at first disturbing and strange and she had placed a hand on his as she sat next to him and asked him if he was alright.

Harry had looked down at his and Hermione's hands that were currently joined and said that he was and he was sorry that he'd "never noticed she was a girl", Hermione was overjoyed at that as it meant that harry had seen the girl in her and he had liked what he had seen.

Then fast forwards to the present, Hermione had had this silent conversation within about three seconds and made a decision that would change her life which ever way things turned out.

Hermione grabbed harry's head and pulled him down and she encased his lips into hers and let her passions run free and for Hermione granger this was the first time this had ever happened and she lost all sense of time and space and lost herself in the embrace.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own harry potter ETC... no money being made all character owned by jkr's unless they are mine 

Authors note:

Ok thanks to my lovely beta ibris without whom this would be as unreadable as the first 3 chapters were  lol. Anyway to all the flamers, and you all know who you were, I have listened and tried to accommodate your words of wisdom ok? This should be fairly, if not totally, free of errors. If there are any left don't blame my beta, as I made them all in the first place

Oh and sorry for the cliff hanger...

Chapter 4: the talk!!!

Harry was surprised to say the least about the fact that he had been kissed by Hermione twice in the past hour. As he kissed her back, he was thinking "maybe it isn't going to be so hard (so to speak) to be at Hermione's this summer, as she obviously feels kind of the same as I do?"

Their embrace broke and Hermione looked Harry into his emerald green eyes and spoke in a small quiet voice Harry hadn't heard before, which freaked him out a little. "Harry! That was…Wow…I don't know, that was amazing"

Harry didn't know how to respond to this; so he just stammered and said "Err thanks Hermione, I think?"

Hermione giggled and gave him a winning smile and then pulled Harry to his feet, "Come on Harry, let's go to your room and we can talk ok?"

Harry & Hermione arrived at the new bedroom Harry was to spend the next 6 weeks in, and discovered that it was a cavernous room with ornate golden chandelier with cut crystal hanging from its cross section supports. Harry looked around the room, for a moment distracted from Hermione's lips.

As Harry scanned around the room he noticed expensive looking furniture around the room; from the wooden wardrobe that was 6ft tall, to the bed that was a king size and could, by the look of it, take Harry and two other people comfortably.

Hermione moved to Harry's side and asked him a question, which he didn't hear as he was engrossed at looking around the room. He suddenly looked down at the pulling on his arm to see Hermione doing so. "Sorry Hermione, what did you say?" She laughed a little and replied "I said we forgot your trunk and broom, as well as Hedwig and her cage." Harry looked a bit sheepish and walked to the large bay window in the bedroom.

"Well it's kind of an interesting thing. You see, I was in bed three weeks ago, and I was hiding from Dudders and the gang; and since I can't lock my bedroom door from the inside, I was hiding below my bed with my eyes closed, and I kind of just waved my hand towards the door thinking _colloportus_, and it worked!"

Hermione waved her hand, motioning him to continue "Well, I thought I was in for it with the Ministry and waited for the letter and MLE wizards & witches to come and break my wand and throw me out of Hogwarts", Hermione looked aghast but the logical side of her brain told her this hadn't happened so she prompted Harry to continue "go on Harry, I am listening".

Harry smiled and looked Hermione in the eyes and said "Well, ok, here we go: I can do wandless magic, and I so far have been able to cast every spell I have tried!" "Oh" said Hermione.

Harry looked at her, then smiled and told her "Don't be jealous 'Mione, it's not like I tried to do something that you can not!! Just to get one up on you", Harry grinned at her and she looked at him with a calculating poise on her face.

"Ok do a Patronus Charm for me Harry, let's see Prongs then?" said Hermione. Harry tried not to smirk and raised his right hand and thought '_Expecto Patronum_'. Suddenly, & to Harry's and Hermione's surprise, instead of Prongs appearing, there was a huge, golden, fully formed lion that gave a loud roar and rubbed Hermione really hard around the waist, before looking at Harry. And to Harry's surprise, the lion winked at him and then ran at him and dissolved into him.

Harry, quite frankly disturbed and surprised by this, didn't know what to say at that present time, as he stood there in his new bedroom, mouth agape. Hermione also stood there, but she was looking at Harry in a new, and if it was possible for Hermione Granger, more loving gaze, "WOW! Harry, you know what this means don't you?" Harry spun to the direction Hermione was at and gave a shrug of his shoulders in an 'I have absolutely no idea what it means' kind of shrug.

"It means Harry that you are in love with someone" Hermione whispered. Harry looked at the smartest witch in their generation and shrugged his shoulders again. Then he asked the question he had not wanted to at this present time "How do you know for sure 'Mione".

"Harry", said Hermione "was this the only lesson that professor Lupin taught that you never paid attention to?" an exasperated Hermione asked. Harry shrugged again and said "I suppose it was as I don't remember whatever it is that you have to tell me, do I?"

Hermione continued on ignoring the rebuke and explained the situation to Harry as follows, "The way professor Lupin described it, the Patronus's form, if you are able to create a corporal Patronus that is, gives a direct representation of the love of the caster. Until today, that love took the form of a stag Patronus that represented your father's, and less so, your mother's love", Hermione paused and took a breath.

Harry said "But why a lion 'Mione? I don't understand why it would change to a lion. It doesn't make any sense!!" Hermione had her suspicions, but the only way was to do the spell and she WAS of age after all.

"Harry, as you know" stated Hermione "I am now of age, and I have not done any big spells since the day I came of age, as I didn't want to push it"

At this, Harry turned and smirked at Hermione, and she gave her nose a scrunch and sniffed slightly affronted. "Ok…well, here it goes then" Hermione pointed her wand into the room and said "_Expecto Patronum_"

Thanks once again to ibris and see you all next time , don't forget if you want to please read and review if not then I hope that you are enjoying this story as much as I am ...


	5. Chapter 5

**New beginnings chapter 5: the talk part 2 **

Previously on new beginnings...

Hermione flicked the wand and shouted "expecto patronum"...

And now on with the story

Out of the wand flew not an otter as had previously happened, but a lioness. As the lioness materialised, she looked around and saw Harry's lion, prowled towards him and stopped to stand face to face. Harry looked down at the two patronuses in front of him and looked shocked at what he saw. He looked over towards a similarly shocked Hermione, who for the life of her and with all her intelligence couldn't believe what her eyes were telling her…it was beyond doubt to be sure but it didn't make her mind accept it any easier, to be honest. She looked up at Harry and then down to the patronuses, who were now sitting on their hind legs while rubbing their huge heads together in what she could only describe as a cuddle between lovers.

Harry was the first one of the two shocked teenagers to recover enough to actually say anything "Hermione were you aware that your patronus had changed from an otter to a lion ?", Hermione looked at Harry as if to say _"well you bastard, why did you throw that at me as I can't lie now, can I?"_ "Well Harry I wasn't aware until now that that was the case, but it does answer a few questions I had. Besides, I am sure it was just as much a shock for you as it was for me to see that", she took a breath and waved her wand towards the lioness and said "finite incantatem" and the patronus she had conjured dissolved into the ether. Harry also waved his arm towards the lion patronus and said the counter spell.

"WELL" asked Harry "are you gonna explain it or not?" he looked at Hermione. She was biting her lower lip in the way that Harry found was cute and adorable and very Hermione; she was also scrunching her eyes in deep concentration, and as Harry stared at her she looked up and gave him a wan smile. "Ok Harry" said Hermione "join me on the edge of the bed and I will explain my theory. As I don't have definitive proof at the present time, it will be just my best guess ok?" she smiled a small smile in Harry's direction and he returned it. He made his way over to the huge four poster bed and sat next to Hermione, who had just sat down.

Hermione was looking away in the direction of the doorway and obviously in a contemplative mood. Harry took her right hand in his left and gently began rubbing small circles over her hand with his thumb. As he did this, Hermione smiled and turned towards him. "Are you sure you want to hear this Harry?" "Yes" He replied and stared pointedly at her as if to dare her to contradict him.

Hermione sighed and opened her lips slightly, inhaled a deep breath and began her 'theory', "Harry, do you remember what happened to Tonks and Lupin when they fell in love with each other?" up until that point Harry had not connected the events of Lupin's and Tonks's situation to his and Hermione's, and as he wasn't stupid by any means, he added two and two and got the answer that his brain had for some reason blocked from his mind until this very moment. It hit Harry for six, and he had to force his mind to calm, as he used the tactics of the occlumency he had been reading up on since the death of the headmaster only a few short weeks ago. Harry felt his mind clear up and give him the information in some sense that he was able to cope with.

"_I am in love with Hermione and she is in love with me!" _As his eyes were closed and this was happening in a very short amount of time, his brain worked as fast as the computer that Dudley had been given as a welcome home for the summer present by his Aunt and Uncle. Dudley had gone round the house shouting things like "it's a dual core" and "it's wireless". Harry, who hadn't ever used a computer, didn't understand the stuff his cousin said technically, but Dudley had been in the kitchen, bragging to Piers, one of Dudley's gang members, and Harry recalled saying it could do like a billion things all at the same time…and this was the speed his mind was going at.

Hermione was looking into Harry's face. Even though his eyes were closed, she could see the realisation on his features, the look of initial shock and scandal, then the look of fear and then, strangely (well in her mind anyway), the look of tranquillity and, did she dare hope, LOVE!

Harry's logical side of his mind, which sounded a lot like Hermione strangely, was telling him "This is how things obviously are. Do not worry about it; it will all work itself out for the best" His emotional side, however, didn't quite agree, it was saying things like "You will lose Hermione as a friend and she will hate you forever now…well done Harry, you blew it before it even started!"

"She will probably run to Ron and cry, and they will both laugh at your expense" At this point, Harry's rational logical side intervened and stated as a matter of fact "her patronus changed to a lioness as well" This made Harry happy, until he wondered if it was because of Ron. His logical side then argued that she HAD KISSED HIM TWICE in the past hour!!! Harry decided to throw caution to the wind and he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Hermione's chocolate orbs, and he felt that he could lose himself in them forever.

He moved his head towards Hermione's, and as he did so, he didn't break eye contact; he couldn't have done so even if he had wanted to, as he was so lost in them. Harry's lips were a hair's breath away from Hermione's as he stopped and looked deeper into her eyes. He could see that she understood the message in his eyes and she could see he understood the message in hers, the message was that they both realised they were in love and that they didn't care whatever happened next, as they would both deal with it together.

Harry closed his eyes and as he was about to lean that further hair's breath, he felt the soft lips of Hermione on his, he melted into them and the world around him dissolved… the lingering memory of Dumbledore's death at Snape's hands, the break up with Ginny & Voldermort…all left him for the very first time, and Harry and Hermione experienced a joy and peace that neither had every experienced before, and for Harry, he wanted it to never end...

To be continued ...

Thanks guys for reading this chapter it was fairly hard to write for some reason, ok first thanks for the wonderful beta skills of ibris without whom this story would be the same, and you probably wouldn't be reading it lol, and thanks to you guys, the readers, for the nice reviews that you all gave me for the last chapter. I do appreciate the reviews, and I hope that you all like this chapter and that you continue to read them and review them in the future

Kenneth xx


	6. Chapter 6

  
**authors note**

Thanks for the comments about the last chapter I do appreciate them a lot and thank you also to my beta IBRIS as always, ok on with the show 

Disclaimer: no money or infringement of copyright are intended, and all the rights for Harry Potter belong of course to JK Rowling and Warner brothers this is intended for fun only and please enjoy.

**New beginnings chapter 6: the Fallout & recovery **

Harry split apart from Hermione and looked away towards the door. in the doorway stood a very pissed off Emma Granger!!!

Hermione looked at the drop of serene pleasure on his face and looked in the direction of Harry's gaze, "Oh, err…hello mum, everything's alright" said Hermione, Emma Granger's face looked towards her daughter's and projected a look of incredulity at Hermione's statement.

"is everything ALRIGHT! HERMIONE JANE GRANGER, Harry has been here only 10 mins and you are allready sucking his face off…You DO remember the agreement that you made with your farther & i, don't you?" Hermione was suitably dejected, and as such, she just nodded and then gave a small "Sorry mum". and as she stood, she looked at Harry with an 'I am glad we snogged, but sorry about what's gonna happen next!' look.

Hermione moved towards the door, and as she passed her mum on the way to her room, she paused and said in a quite voice so only she and her mum could hear, "he kissed me mum, and he is fantastic. Don't be too hard on him" and with that, she moved on and awaited her mother's lecture in her room.

Harry looked down, as his brain was racing to try and work out what he was going to say to Mrs. Granger. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her move towards the bed where he sat. As she approched, he stood and looked up at her thinking the worst; but he saw in her expression that she wasn't realy THAT angry, well…he hoped that's what he saw.

"Mrs.…Gr" Harry started, but as he said this, she shushed him and told him to sit back down. Harry did so and he slumped onto the bed, resigned at the fact that he was about to get his arse kicked for any number of reasons, firstly for the fact that he had just threatened Hermione's virtue!

"_Well, sort of" _he supposed. As he was thinking this, he was brought out of his wandering mind by Emma Granger's "HARRY". Harry jumped a bit, looked up and said sorry, Emma Granger had to try hard to supress the grin that was forming on her lips.

So she did the first thing that came to her mind, she cleared her throat & said "Harry, please sit quiet and listen to what i have to say ok?" Harry did the only logical thing he could, he nodded.

"first things first, I am not angry or upset with you Harry, or HERMIONE FOR that matter, especially as the way Hermione has talked about you for the past 6 years it's like you and her have been boyfriend and girlfriend forever anyway", Harry made to protest a number of the points that Emma Granger had just raised, but she stopped his rebuke with a look.

"i know, Harry, that you and her have been nothing more until today probably, and this development is not unexpected to either me and Dan or Arthur and Molly Weasley", again, Harry looked shocked and made to protest, but Emma Granger just kept on speaking and Harry didn't have the nerve to speak even though this new information was like dynamiting his opinion of all the adults, save the dursleys, that he knew in the muggle and wizarding world and he didn't like it one bit.

"quite frankly" continued Emma Granger, "we expected to see this happen a few years ago, so when it didn't we were quite shocked, and then, when you started dating that Chang girl…well, I have never seen Hermione so down and dejected. It was like for five months she was permanatly depressed, I was glad for her when you and Chang broke up Harry".

"err ok" said Harry, "I didn't realise that Hermione was upset with my releationship with Cho. I knew she didn't think we were right for each other, but she appeared supportive of it, well at least to me she did", Emma looked down sadly at Harry and said.

"Harry it's not what a women says or does, it's what she doesn't that should make you worry" said Emma with a light lilting laugh, " Harry, it's not uncommon for the males of the species, be they muggle or wizard, to be oblivious to the world around them" she said with a smile.

Harry decided that she had said all she wanted to say for the moment and decided to speak, "Mrs. Granger, I am not entierly sure whether to be scared that you are entierly mad or that I am, and have been, entirely stupid and oblivious to what has been in front of me the past few years especially!" "I have been thinking a lot the past few weeks about the importance of love and friendship, and what it will mean to the world if I can't defeat voldemort, and I have realised that Hermione has been there when NO ONE ELSE has, not even Ron".

"although Ron is very important to me and, I hate to say this, but I can live on if he were to die. But if it was Hermione who had died, I wouldn't have the will to live on"

"Seeing Albus Dumbledore killed was a turning point in my life, and it's given me new resolve to find Riddle and kill him, as I DO have something to live for, I have Hermione!!!!!"

Harry, who hadn't heard Mrs. Granger while HE, had been speaking, looked across to her and found that she was sobbing quietly, "Mrs. Granger are you ok? I didn't mean to upset you…honestly I didn't" Harry stated with a remosefull look about him.

"Harry Potter, in all the years I have been alive, that's the sweest thing I have ever heard. Does Hermione know that's how you feel Harry?"

"I havent been able to gain the courage Mrs. Granger, I am sorry" Harry stated. Just then, he was interupted by a mass of bushy brown hair and the smell of lilies. Harry's mind summed two and two, and he groaned at the realisation that Hermione had been snooping by the door and had heard what he had just said.

Hermione released him a little and he was able to see her face, wich was quite deshelved, "hey Mione" said Harry to Hermione, who was kneeling on the floor infront of him, "don't hey me Potter, that WAS the sweetest thing you have ever said, EVER & i can't wait till later to tell you this Harry: I love you, I have loved you since the troll incident in the first year" she sqeeled to him.

Harry responded incredulously "the first YEAR? come off it Mione how could you love me? I didn't even know what love was till I saw you walk down the stairs at the yule ball in the 4th year, so I don't know how you knew what love was like back then", now Harry, being Harry, hadn't thought about the words he had just said. He had spoken from the heart, and his heart bypassed his brain and let that cat out of the proverbial bag as it were. He groaned internaly as his mind processed the information, he had just admitted in the presence of Hermione & her mother that he was in love with Hermione, and had been for over 3 years.

Harry placed his face in his hands and groaned an "_I can't believe I just said that out loud_", his shoulders slumped and looked rather pathetic at that precise moment, or so Hermione thought.

"Harry" said a small shy voice from in front of Harry. He knew it was Hermione who had spoken, yet he didn't want to face her, as his mind was saying _"Face her and you'll loose her"_. Harry felt her hands touch his and pull them apart, denying him the choice of not looking at her.

Harry looked up at her and saw the joy and sadness in her beatiful eyes, and got lost again in those choclate orbs. Harry heard Hermione speak something and didn't understand what had been said, so he asked her to repeate it again!

"i said Harry, I love you, and I now know that you love me. I have dreamed this moment would happen for years, but I didn't imagine it would go down like it has", she laughed and her eyes lit up, and all Harry could do was cry with happyness.

As Harry sobbed, he looked up again and saw Hermione with watery eyes but no tears. Harry did the only thing that was logical in his mind: he took Hermione's hand and spoke softly to her, "Mione, I know a lot has happened today, but it's been a long time that I have been in love with you; and from your mother's words and your actions I see that it's been the same for you. I have only one thing to ask you…" and at this point, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a small intricately constructed ring made of what looked like platinum. Harry spoke again while the shocked Granger women looked only at the ring and Harry in alternate goes, "Mione, I had intended to give this to you as your birthday present. It was my mother's, you know, I had Gringotts retrieve it for me and send it to me last week…"

"my question is: Hermione Granger will you be my girlfriend?"

to be continued………….


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